The JLDC board during its Aug. 28, 2018 meeting.
JAMESTOWN – Local venues and promoters will have a new pool of funding to apply for when it comes to paying for events and activities that will draw people into Downtown Jamestown.
On Tuesday the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC) board of directors met and learned that $600,000 from a newly created Special Event Grant fund will be available for future downtown programming, starting next month.
The JLDC will be responsible for administering the Downtown Programming Fund and fielding applications, with the funding coming out of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant the city was awarded in 2016.
According to city development director and JLDC executive director Vince DeJoy, applicants will be able to apply for up to $75,000 in funding to help cover costs associated with their event, with a $50,000 limit on a grant award and a $25,000 limit on a low interest loan to cover upfront costs for the event.
The JLDC board is responsible for signing off on any grant awards, with final review and approval coming from the state. A special grant advisory committee comprising of two JLDC board members (Tim Smeal and John Whittaker), four residents of Jamestown appointed by the mayor, and DeJoy will review applicants and make recommendations to the full JLDC boad.
City officials say the state wants to see the grant pool used up within two years. The application process will be rolling, meaning there is no time frame for when eligible applicants can apply for the money.
The city will be meeting with downtown attractions and venues in the coming weeks to provide more details on the grant, but anyone wishing to organize an event downtown is welcome to apply for funding, so long as the proposed event meets certain eligibility criteria.
More details on the grant and process for applying can be found here, and will also be made available on the JLDC page of the city website – JamestownNY.net – by the end of this week.
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